Understanding Texas’s Compassionate-Use Program

Understanding Texas’s Compassionate-Use Program

In 2015, the Texas Compassionate Use Act, Senate Bill 339, was enacted, requiring the Texas Department of Public Safety (“DPS”) to create a secure registry for qualified physicians to treat patients suffering from a limited list of medical conditions, such as ALS and intractable epilepsy, with low-THC cannabis. In 2019, the Texas Legislature expanded the Texas Compassionate Use Program (“TCUP”) via House Bill 3703 to include additional medical conditions, e.g., incurable neurodegenerative diseases, and physician specialties in which low-THC cannabis can be prescribed. Moreover, the Compassionate Use Registry of Texas (“CURT”) has been updated in accordance with the expanded TCUP to allow for a simpler process for physicians to register and prescribe low-THC cannabis to their patients. 

October 14, 2020 , , ,
Ritter Spencer, PLLCUnderstanding Texas’s Compassionate-Use Program
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Will CBD Be Classified as a Dietary Supplement?

Will CBD Be Classified as a Dietary Supplement?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) currently prohibits cannabidiol (“CBD”) from being added to food, beverages, or cosmetics and from being sold as a dietary supplement. While we await further guidelines from the FDA, Congressmen Kurt Schrader of Oregon and Morgan Griffith of Virginia introduced on September 4, 2020, H.R. 8179, the “Hemp and Hemp-Derived CBD Consumer Protection and Market Stabilization Act of 2020”, which would allow hemp, CBD, and any other hemp-derived ingredient to be sold as dietary ingredients in dietary supplements under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the “FD&C Act”).  

September 15, 2020 , , , , ,
Ritter Spencer, PLLCWill CBD Be Classified as a Dietary Supplement?
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The Growing Market of Smokable Hemp and Its Legal Obstacles

The Growing Market of Smokable Hemp and Its Legal Obstacles

The Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (the “2018 Farm Bill”) established that hemp is to be treated similarly to other legal agricultural commodities and traded in standard interstate commerce as a raw material. However, the 2018 Farm Bill governs only state production programs and specifically permits states to enact more stringent regulations than those contained in the Bill. As a result, legal hemp has facilitated the emergence of a wide array of consumer products and uses. Specifically, smokable hemp has made a significant presence in the cannabis and hemp markets and continues to grow despite the increasing legality of other forms of cannabis that often include higher concentrations of tetrahydrocannabinol (“THC”). Below, we discuss the smokable hemp industry and the legal challenges it faces as it comes to fruition. 

September 1, 2020 , , , ,
Ritter Spencer, PLLCThe Growing Market of Smokable Hemp and Its Legal Obstacles
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Ritter Spencer Files Lawsuit Challenging Smokable Hemp Bans in Texas

Ritter Spencer Files Lawsuit Challenging Smokable Hemp Bans in Texas

Yesterday, our office filed a lawsuit against the Texas Department of State Health Services (“DSHS”) on behalf of our client, Crown Distributing LLC (“Crown”), challenging the smokable hemp bans in Texas. A copy of our filed Petition can be accessed here.

August 6, 2020 , , , , , , , , , ,
Ritter Spencer, PLLCRitter Spencer Files Lawsuit Challenging Smokable Hemp Bans in Texas
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What To Look For In A Hemp Lawyer

What To Look For In A Hemp Lawyer

As the cannabis, hemp, and cannabidiol (CBD) industries continue to boom, legal cannabis businesses often find themselves in need of legal counsel. But how do you choose a hemp lawyer? The answer may depend on your specific situation. However, there are a few critical things to look for in a cannabis or hemp attorney. Below, we break down three key characteristics to help you identify an experienced hemp lawyer for all of your legal cannabis, hemp, or CBD needs. 

May 27, 2020 , , , ,
Ritter Spencer, PLLCWhat To Look For In A Hemp Lawyer
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Marijuana Versus Hemp: Keeping Legalities Straight

Marijuana Versus Hemp: Keeping Legalities Straight

As the legalization of cannabis and cannabis-related products continues to make progress, keeping legalities straight can be challenging. The rise of the cannabidiol (CBD) industry has also led to an abundance of misinformation online and in the media, making it harder for the average consumer to find the right answers to their questions. But cannabis, hemp, hemp derivatives, CBD, and marijuana continue to gain popularity, and it is important to fully understand what is legal and what is not. Below, we have put together a comparison between the legalities of marijuana and the legalities of hemp as a thorough examination and differentiation. 

March 26, 2020 , , , , ,
Ritter Spencer, PLLCMarijuana Versus Hemp: Keeping Legalities Straight
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Revised TDA Hemp Production Plan Part III: Violations, Hemp Transportation, and Hemp Seed Requirements

Revised TDA Hemp Production Plan Part III: Violations, Hemp Transportation, and Hemp Seed Requirements

By: Paul Stevenson

After learning the application and hemp license holder requirements in Part I of this Series and the rules and procedures regarding the sampling and testing of hemp in Part II, it is now time to turn to the TDA plan’s provisions covering violations, license suspension and revocation, hemp transportation, and hemp seed requirements. 

As a hemp license holder, if you violate the TDA plan, it is imperative to comply with any enforcement action or corrective action plan imposed by the TDA in order to avoid any further negative consequences for you and/or your hemp operations.

January 22, 2020 , , , , , ,
Ritter Spencer, PLLCRevised TDA Hemp Production Plan Part III: Violations, Hemp Transportation, and Hemp Seed Requirements
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Revised TDA Hemp Production Plan Part II: Sampling & Testing of Hemp

Revised TDA Hemp Production Plan Part II: Sampling & Testing of Hemp

By: Paul Stevenson

Now that you have read Part I of the Revised TDA Hemp Production Plan series on the application and license requirements for hemp producers, it is crucial to understand the rules and methods for the sampling and testing of hemp for tetrahydrocannabinol (“THC”) concentration levels. 

January 22, 2020 , , , , , , ,
Ritter Spencer, PLLCRevised TDA Hemp Production Plan Part II: Sampling & Testing of Hemp
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Revised TDA Hemp Production Plan Part I: License Requirements

Revised TDA Hemp Production Plan Part I: License Requirements

By: Paul Stevenson

To conform with the United States Department of Agriculture’s (“USDA”) hemp production plan, the Texas Department of Agriculture (“TDA”) proposed its own hemp production rules and regulations (the “TDA plan”) to the Texas Register in December of 2019. The proposed rules were then revised and released on Friday, January 10th, and they are open to public comment until Monday, February 10th. Comments are to be submitted to Philip Wright, Administrator for Agriculture and Consumer Protection, Texas Department of Agriculture, P.O. Box 12847, Austin, Texas 78711, or by email to [email protected]. If dissatisfied with any provision of the TDA plan, it is highly recommended to raise and send concerns to the TDA during this window for public comment.

January 22, 2020 , , , , , ,
Ritter Spencer, PLLCRevised TDA Hemp Production Plan Part I: License Requirements
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Starting a Cannabis Company: Things to Know

Starting a Cannabis Company: Things to Know

The cannabis industry is complex and competitive, but it is also extremely appealing to young entrepreneurs and investors alike as it continues to shift away from negative stigmas and into a more defined regulatory pathway. The rapid growth of the industry attracts cultivators, extractors, retailers, and more, and like many people entering this complicated space, you may feel overwhelmed with where to begin. Whether you’re considering opening a dispensary business, a CBD business, an ancillary cannabis business, or simply obtaining a hemp license, we’ve put together a guide to starting up a cannabis company to further your understanding of the necessary moving parts and details.

January 3, 2020 , , , , , ,
Ritter Spencer, PLLCStarting a Cannabis Company: Things to Know
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